Car-coupling.



No. 717,686. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

' E. H. JANNEY.

GAR GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

u m WV/ZW "TIME Nrrnn ST 'rEs FATENT QFFICE.

ELI H. JANNEY, OF FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

CAR-I-JCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,686, dated January6, 1903. Application filed May 2,1901. Serial lilo. 58AM. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELI H. JANNEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing in the cou nty of Fairfax, State of Virginia, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in'Car-Coup lings, of whichthefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplings, and more particularly to thatclass known as the Janney type, wherein the tail of the coup- :olinghook is provided with an inclined plane that contacts with a similarinclined plane on the locking-pin, and has for its objects, first, toprovide novel means for automatically retaining the locking-pin in itsraised position I 5 until the tail of the coupling-hook has passed thesame onits way to the open or unlocked position, said movement of thetail automatically releasing said locking-pin to permit it to drop againto the coupling position; secondly, to'provide novel means forautomatically retaining said locking-pin against upward movement whilethe coupling-hook is closed and the draft strain is exerted thereon,and, thirdly, to provide a novel spring mech- 2 5 anism for throwingsaidcoupling-hook open when released by the locking-pin. These objects Iaccomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had'to the accompanying draw- 0 ings, in whichFigure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of my improved coupling, showingthe same in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view, the coupling-hook and locking pin being shown in fulllines.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, the locking-pin being shown raised andretained in the unlocked position. Fig. 1 is a detail view of twocoupling-hooks, showing the tail of one of them in 0 the act of movingto the open position and automatically releasing the locking-pin topermit it to drop to its lowermost position. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the coup ling-hook. Fig. 6 is a detail verticaltransverse sectional view of the draw-head, showhead 2 of the well-knownJanney type, in

which is'pivoted, bymeans of pin 3, the usual coupling-hooksPassingverticallythrough upper and lower apertures 5 and 6 in thedrawhead 2 is the locking-pin 7, the same being cut away on its frontlower side and formed with an inclined or cam surface 8, as shown.

The tail of the coupling-hook 4 is provided on its outer side with asimilarly-inclined cam-surface 9, adapted to'move in the path of p thecam-surface 8, as shown. The under side of the drawhead 2 around theaperture 6 therein is formed into an inclined or cam surface 10, whilethe lower end of the locking-pin 7 has the usual cotter 11 therein, onwhich loosely rests a small spring-plate 12. The locking-pin 7 is alsorecessed on its front side from its lower end upward, said recessterminating in a shoulder 13, while on its side opposite to the tail ofthe coupling-hook 4 is a recess 14:, slightly longer than the width ofthe draw-head 2 at that point, as shown in Fig. 6. Said locking-pin alsohas its edge or corner nearest the tail of the coupling-hook 4 beveledat 15.

Mounted on a vertical pin 16 and lying in a recess in the draw-head l isa spring of the type known as the rat-trap 'spring, said pin passingthrough the coil 17 of the same, its free ends 18 bearing against thewall of the draw-head, while a looped free end 19 bears against the tailof the coupling-hook 4 when in its closed position. It will be observedby referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings that one face of the recesscontaining said spring acts as a stop for the looped free end of saidspring when not compressed by the coupling-hook tail,thus maintainingthe same in position to properly engage said couplinghook tail, as wellas preventing its projecting in the path of downward movement of thelocking-pin 7.

From the above description the operation of my improved constructionwill be understood to be as follows: When the parts are in their lockedposition,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tail of the coupling-hook 2 willengage against the front half of the locking-pin 7- that is to say,against that portion of said pin opposite to the cam-surface 8thereof-and said hook will be firmly retained in its locked position.Now when it is desired to release said hook the engine of the train isbacked slightly to force the tail of the coupling-hook 4away from itslocking-pin 7, when the latter may be freely drawn upward until thelower edge of cam-surface 8 thereon passes the upper edge of the tail ofthe coupling-hook 4, when the latter will be free to move to its openposition as the cars are drawn apart,'

said movement being automatically accomplished, moreover, through thetension of the looped end 19 against the rear of the'tail-ofthecoupling-hook when the car is not coupled to another car. It will beobserved, however, that as said locking-pin 7 is raised tov itsunlocking position the spring-plate 1 2 thereon will contact with thecam-surface 10 on the under side of the draw-head 2, thus automaticallythrowing the lower end of the locking-pin 7 forward, so that theshoulder 13 thereon will engage over the edge of the draw-head 2, asshown in Fig. 3, thus retaining said locking-pin 7 inits raised orunlock-f This forward movement of the ing position. locking-pin 7,however, brings it into the path of movement of the tail of thecouplinghook 4:, as shown in Fig. 4, and the latter in its movement tothe open position will contact with the beveled edge 15 thereof andautomatically force said locking-pin 7 backward again, so that theshoulder 13 will be released from its engagement with the draw head andthe locking-pin will again drop to its locking position.

ment of said locking-pin 7. It will be observed that the recess 14 is solocated as to engage the lower part of the draw head, which permits anaccurate fit of the wider portion of "th'e'locking-pin 7 in theupperpart'of the draw-head, on which 'is exerted the main draft strain,saidstrai'n being'atorsional one,

due to the engagement of the coupling-hook tail against a portion onlyof said lockingpin, as shown in Fig. '1.

While I preferto employ the spring-plate, 12 on top ofthe cotter ll'tocontactwith the cam-surface 10 on the under side of the d'rawhead 2toforce'the lower end of -th'e'locking-- pin 7 forward, the use of thesame is not essential,as the cotter 1'1 alone by contacting with saidcam-surface will vperform thesame function.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by'Lett'ers Patent, is p p 1. In a car-coupling, the combinationwith the draw-headhaving a cam-surface on its under side, and thecoupling-hook pivoted in said draw-head, of a vertically-movable locking-pin for said coupling-hook adapted in its movement to the unlockingposition to contact with said cam-surface and be forced forward toengage the draw-head and be retained in its unlocking position.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head having a cam--surface on its under side, and the coupling-hook pivoted in saiddraw-head, of a vertically-movable locking-pin for said coupling-hookhaving a shoulder on its front side and adapted in its movement to theunlocking position to contact with said cam-surface and be forcedforward to engage said shoulder thereon with the draw-head and retain itin its unlocking position.

3. In a car-coup'lin'g,"thecombination with the draw-head having'acam-surface onits under side, and the coupling-'hookpivotedin saiddraw-head, of'averticall-y movable locking-pin for said coupling-hookhaving a shoulder on its front side, and asp'ring-iplateca'rried by said'lockin'g-pin'and adapted to contact with said cam-surface'duringtheupward movement of said locking-pinto force the latter forward toengagesaid shou'lder'tfhe'reon with'the draw-head and retain said "locking-pin in its unlockinggposition.

4:. In a car-coupling, the combination "with the draw-headhavinga'cam-surface on its under side, and the coupling-hook pivoted insai draw-head, of a vertically-movable locking-pin forsaid'coupling-hook, adapted in'its movement to the unlocking position tocontact with said camfsu'rfaceand'be forcedforward to 'en'gage'th'edraw-head and be retained inits unlocking position, said locking -pin,when in its unlocking position, lying 'in'the path of movement'of'th'etail of the couplinghook and adapted tobe trippeditherebyto resumeitslockin'g'position as said tail moves to the open position.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head, and thecoupling-hookpivo'ted therein, of a vertically-movable locking-pinhaving a recess in its side opposite the tail of thecoupling-hookadapted-tobe engagedwith the lowerpart of the draw-head bythe pressure of said coupling hook tail'to'prevent vertical movement ofsaid locking-pin.

6. ha car-coupling,the combination with the draw-head, the coupling-hookpivoted therein, and the locking-pin, of a spring mounted in a recess'in'said draw-head and adapted to contact with and'be placed undertension by the tail of the coupling-hook when initslock'edpo'sition, oneface of said recess limiting the movement of said spring'when notincontact with saidcoupling-hook tail.

7. In a car-coupling,the combinationwith the'draw-head, thecoupling-hook pivoted therein, and the locking-pin, of a pinin'the saidrecess limiting the movement of said looped free portion when not incontact with said coupling-hook tail.

' Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set I 5 my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing when not in contact with said coupling-hook tail.

8. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head, thecoupling-hook pivoted therein, and the locking-pin, of a pin in thedraw-head, and a spring mounted on said pin, 1 Witnesses. said springlying in a recess in the draw-head and having its free ends contactingwith the draw-head and a looped free portion contacting with the rear ofthe tail of the couplinghook when in its locked position, one face of 1ELI H. JANNEY.

Witnesses:

M. J.-IIAMILroN, E. W. HAMILTON.

